This young woman from Bainbridge, NY is leaning on an 1870's prop chair, but I believe this Cabinet Card to be dated probably around 1883 give or take a year. She is wearing a bustled dress with fitted bodice made out of a gingham fabric of some sort, but look at all the lovely soutache trim down the front of the bodice, the sides of the skirt and around her neck and cuffs. The dress is also adorned with lace at the cuffs and on the bodice. The image below is from the 1883 Peterson's Magazine May edition, it is one of the two-page hand-colored steel fashion plates that were in each monthly edition. While these dresses are in no way the same dress our subject is wearing you can see some similarities in the first dress on the left in the high cut of the neckline, in the checkered gingham material of the fourth dress as well the cut of the bottom of the overcoat which tapers around the hips to pointed corners. (Forgive me if I am not using correct terminology - I am not a seamstress or fashionista).
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| May 1883 Peterson's Magazine "The Sea-Shore" |
Finally concerning our subject, her hairstyle was very common in the early to mid- 1880's with the curly fringed bangs and the length of her hair braided up on top of her hair. I found this similar illustration of in the same 1883 Peterson's Magazine. This style, either with short hair or hair in a bun and off the neck and ears, allowed the woman to wear the high necklines that were in style.
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| 1883 Hairstyle Peterson's Magazine |
The photographer was most likely Sheldon S. Wheeler of Otsego, New York which was a small town near Bainbridge. He was born in January 1854, the son of John H. and Lovina Wheeler of Otsego. His father's occupation was gunsmith. In the 1880 Otsego Federal census Sheldon age 26 was living with his wife Kate age 23 and he listed his occupation as photographer. They were married in 1877 according to the 1900 Berkshire, MA census and divorced before 1910. Before 1915 he remarried Belle Strohbeen the mother of three teenage children.
Very nice post! My husband and I went into an antique store this evening on our way to the farmer's market and I looked through some of their old postcards and photos. I know the value of our own old family photos. They are priceless to us. So it was so sad to see those orphan photographs sitting there in that box.
ReplyDeleteOur Bainbridge lady has a lovely dress but she looks like she has a toothache. And in other news, I am indexing the 1940 US Census and just did a batch from Otsego, New York.
ReplyDeleteIt is fascinating all the different places we can find historical reference. I have an old issue of Peterson's myself; this makes me wish I'd bought a few more that day. I'll definitely have to take another look at it soon.
ReplyDeleteI have another Cabinet Card by the same photographer: of his wife Kathryn (called Kate in the census.) After divorcing Wheeler she married my great-grandmother in 1910. Thanks for the information about the Wheelers. I am preparing an illustrated history of my mother's family (starting in England during the time of Henry VII) using all the amazing sources now available on the Internet. I knew my step-great-grandmother had been married before, but until I searched for "Wheeler photographer Bainbridge NY" and found this page, I hadn't known to whom.
ReplyDeleteI would be happy to send a scan to add to this delightful collection - she is quite fashionably dressed and very beautiful.
By the way Otsego is a county, in which the town of Bainbridge is situated.
--Jim
I have another Cabinet Card by the same photographer - of his wife Kathryn (Kate, in the census cited above.) After she divorced Wheeler she married my great-grandfather, who lived a little north of Bainbridge in Otsego County.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the background on the Wheelers. I am preparing an illustrated history tracing my mother's family from the time of Henry VII in England, drawing on the amazing variety of sources available on the Internet. I knew my step-great-grandmother had been married before, but until I searched for "Wheeler photographer Bainbridge NY" and found this page, I didn't know to whom.
I would be happy to send a scan to add to this delightful collection, if you are interested. She appears quite fashionably dressed and very beautiful.
For some reason I just now saw your comments Jim. Thank for stopping by. It sounds like you have quite a project on your hands! Thanks for you offer, I don't post much these days, but would love to see your photo.
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